tennis

noun

ten·​nis ˈte-nəs How to pronounce tennis (audio)
often attributive
1
: an indoor or outdoor game that is played with rackets and a light elastic ball by two players or pairs of players on a level court (as of clay or grass) divided by a low net
2

Examples of tennis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
While Rodriguez donned a white tennis dress, Gentry and LaLonde could be seen in the background recreating the infamous churro scene from the film. Kelsie Gibson, People.com, 31 Oct. 2024 The benchmark appears to be her Euphoria co-star Zendaya, who reportedly earned $10 million for starring and producing the tennis drama Challengers. Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2024 Julian and Alejandro were close friends and tennis rivals. Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2024 Laidback takes on gameday wares consisting of jerseys with tennis skirts and bubble hem skirts were also spotted. Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 28 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tennis 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English tenetz, tenys, perhaps borrowed from Anglo-French tenez, 2nd person plural imperative of tenir "to hold" — more at tenant entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of tennis was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near tennis

Cite this Entry

“Tennis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tennis. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

tennis

noun
ten·​nis ˈten-əs How to pronounce tennis (audio)
: a game played with rackets and a light elastic ball by two players or two pairs of players on a level court divided by a low net

More from Merriam-Webster on tennis

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